Steam-power plant for airplanes



Dec. 1 1925. 1,563,504

, w. LEATHERS STEAM POWER PLANT FOR AIRPLANES Filed Dec. 26. 1919 Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

' UNI ED STATES :P AT ENT "OFFICE.

WARD LEATHERS, ornawo-nrmnnw JERSEY. y

STEAM-POWER PLANT roR-amrLAN'Es. I

Application filcdjtecember 26, 1919. Serial No."347,386.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVAnn LEATHEKS, a

citizen of-the United States, resident of Haworth, county ofBergen, State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Steam-Power Plants for Airplanes. I *The object of my invention is to furnish a simple and promptly flexible means of handling a steanrcycle. A further object of my invention is to make a plant which may be controlled by the mere operation of a throttle. And a further object is to utilize the full boiler energy in producing more pressure before it ispassed to themain prnne mover. i

I 'do not wish to restrict my invention to an airplane plant "since ithas many other obvious uses. I i

In order to more clearly illustrate my inyention I have appended a sheet of drawings in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal diagram of an aeronautical steam power plant.

' (if the flash typo.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of a'reduction or safety valve.

In Figure 1, 1 is a prime mover prefer: ably a steam turbine which drives a prdpeller2. The turbine obtains its motive fluidthrough the pipe 3 from the boiler 1. The boiler l is a steam boiler preferably 5 is a secondary prime mover which runs the air'pump or blower 6, the water pump 7, and the fuel pump '8. Air

9 to'meet the 'fuel pumped by'the pump .8 through. theplpe 10 to the boiler, as illustrated in Figure 1. Fuel is obtained from a v supply not shown at 11.. The water .pump

7 obtains water from the condenser 12'into which the main prlme mover exhausts throughthepa'ssage 13. The water is ch- .tained through the pipes 14 and 15 and is pumped into the boiler at 16. 17 'is a check valve which prevents pressure in the combus tion chamber passing out through the blower 6 ,when the same is-idle, and forced draught isfurnished by the starter.

18 is a reduction valve similar in operation to'asafety valve; When theboiler pressure exceeds a automatic the turbine. v

Motive fluid at boiler pressure is obtained through the pipe 19 and admitted to the prime mover 5;by a throttle 20.

predetermined pressure the yalve 8. 1y opens and furnishes fluid to.

21 is an exhaust stack for the gaseous products of combustion.

Ai-r pump 29, Water .pump 32 and fuel pump 33 furnish one of several simple means of starting. The hand blower 29 driven by a crank 30' or other means furnishes air for combustion. This may as read ily be a supply of compressed air, prth pump or blower 29 may be motor driven if desired' 31 is a check' valve corresponding in purpose to 17 in. Figure 1. 32 is a water pump and 83 a fuel pump which may be operably connected to 29 or other means of furnishing the draught. 34=is a storage battery connected to the primary coil of a spark coil 35. The circuit is established by a contact The secondary of the coil 35 is connected by means of means 27 to the throttle 20. a It is evident that the starting and controlling devices shown may be removed from .the power plant shown in Figure 1.. Such the ship as desired may be run from one ,boil'er. In this case only a steam p1 pe and a the Wires 26 to a spark plug inthe boiler, notshowna A handle 38 is connected by Slllttlblfi return Water pipe need connect the engine unit and the boiler unit. I

When'the handle 30 is turned and the primary circuit closed at 36 air pump 29, water pump 32 and fuel pum f' 38 are brought into action, and the foe mixture thus provided in the boiler is ignited. Pressure generates in boilerA and sincefit cannot escape; past the reduction valve 18 it must be available at throttle 20. When throttle 20 is opened, auxiliary engine 5 starts pumps 6, 7 and 8. Pumps 29, 32 a'nd 33 may now-be stopped and the circuit at '36 be oken. .As the pressure increases in boiler 4, auxiliary engine 5 runs faster and faster until the pressure exceeds the predetermined pressure, and pressure operated valve 18 opensand main engine land ro-- peller 2 rotate. Water from the sump o the condenser 12 is pumped by pump mto the boiler4. As steam it goes-from boiler 4 thru pi e 3 and valve .18 to main engine 1 from w ich thru exhaust pipe 13 it goes to condenser 12 and back. Some of the steam goes through pipe 19 and throttle 20 to auxiliary engine fromwhich it is exhausted thru exhaust pipe 37 to exhaust pipe 13 to condenser 12 and back to boiler feed water pump 7. Obviously, pumps (3, 7 and 8 must be so calibrated as to pump correctly proportional amounts of air, water and fuel, as must pumps 29, 32 and 33.

Fig. 2 shows in section the pressure operated reduction or safety valve 18. team passes from boiler 4 thru pipe 3 and presses against valve l0. Spring 41 holds valve 40 against its seat until the pressure in the boiler at reaches a predetermined pressure at Which valve rises against spring 41 and steam flows thru the valve and pipe 42 to engine 1. Piston 43 acts to balance valve so that the pressure on the back of valve 40 will not affect its openin I claim v 1. In a steam power plant the combination of a steam boiler, a main steam engine,

an auxiliary steam engine, an air pump, a

boiler feed water pump, a fuel pump, said air, water and fuel pumps operably connected to said auxiliary engine, connections from said air, water and fuel pumps to said boiler, a connection from said boiler to said main engine, a pressure operated i valve on said connection to said main engine, said valve adapted to pass steam when the steam pressure in said boiler exceeds a predetermined pressure, a connection from said boiler to said auxiliary engine, a throttle valve on said connection to said auxiliary engine said throttle adapted to control said main engine by controlling the speed of said auxiliary en- ,gine determining'the amount of air, water and fueldelivered to said boiler by said air, water and fuel pumps, an exhaust steam condenser, connections from said main engine and said auxiliary engine to said condenser and connection from said condenser to said Water pump.

2. In an aeronautical steam power plant, a steam boiler, a main steam engine, a propeller, said propeller being adapted to be rotated by said main engine, a connection for steam from said boiler to said main engine, a pressure operated valve on said connection to said main engine, an exhaust steam condenser, a connection for exhaust steam to said condenser from said main engine, an auxiliary steam engine, a connection for steam from said boiler to said auxiliary engine, a throttle valve on said connection to said auxiliary engine, an air pump, a boiler feed Water pump, a fuel pump, said air, water and fuel pumps being proportionately related to each other and operably connected to said auxiliary engine, delivery connections to said boiler from said air, water and fuel pumps, connection from said condenser to said water pump.

3. In a steam power plant, a boiler, a main steam engine, a connection for steam from said boiler to said main engine, a pressure operated valve on said connection to said 7 main engine, said "alve adapted to permit steam to flow from said boiler to said main engine when the steam pressure on said boiler rises to a predetermined pressure, an auxiliary steam engine, a connection for steam from said boiler to said auxiliary engine, a manually operated throttle valve on said steam connection to said auxiliary eugine, an air pump, a boiler feed water pump, a fuel pump, said air, water and fuel pumps operably connected to said auxiliary engine and delivery connections from said air, water and fuel pumps to said boiler, said manually operated throttle valve to said auxiliary engine being adapted to cdntrol said main engine by controlling the speed of said auxiliary engine, said speed being in direct ratio to the amount of air, water and fuel supplied to said boiler.

WARD LEATHERS. 

